When making a lane change, especially on a highway with multiple lanes, it is necessary for the driver to ensure that there is no other vehicle, in an adjacent lane. Various proposals have been made in the past for mirrors providing all round view, from the centre of the driving compartment. However these mirrors are not totally effective to provide a view of vehicles which may be in an adjacent side lane, either to the left or to the right. In addition, these centre view mirrors involve modifying the interior of the car substantially to remove the existing rear view mirror and replace it with some more complex structure, in addition, the costs of such all round mirrors have been a factor detracting from their appeal.
Clearly it is desirable to provide some form of effective side view mirrors which are both economical to manufacture and which can easily be installed by the driver of the vehicle, and most importantly provide a means of monitoring the presence of vehicles in lanes on either side, which would otherwise require a twisting movement of the head to check.